A_NY_Outlaw
The Tin Man Master
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2007
- Messages
- 4,927
Our WDW vacation ended over the weekend, but there were a handful of good and not so good. More good than anything though.
For those of you going, or planning, take the following for whatever assistance it can offer. It should be noted that with the Restaurants, I am a very picky eater, so my marks reflect quality, taste and portion size.
Trip Overall grade: A
Resort Stay (6 nights @ Polynesian): A.
Comments: Never stayed here before. A very nice resort and my high expectations were met. The only tricky thing is really knowing where you're going and managing the monorails (or any transportation) correctly- especially if you have an ADR somewhere other than the resort you're staying at. This cost us a couple of ADR's. The overall layout of the Poly can disorientate you if you're a newbie to the resort like we were. Twice we found ourselves walking to the Transportation Center following the signs to board the monorail. After this being our 3rd trip in 3 years, I would have thought the more transportation options would work better, but in reality, more does not necessarily equate to better but just added to the confusion. With a little more attention being paid to where things were, and using the amentities of the resort which we didn't find time for, I would have given it an A+.
Park Crowd levels: B-.
Comments: Parks were very busy, but the ride times weren't bad at all and the rides with long wait times, fast pass was the best solution. The most annoying were the people who clip other people's heels with strollers and refused to apologize. Typical disney crowds with regards to that. The MNSSHP was packed on Oct 31, but the parade was very good.
HalloWishes fireworks: B. I gave this a separate grade as I thought the fireworks when we went in 2005 was much better. In fact, I would even rank regular wishes higher.
Restaurants: We were on the DDP Deluxe, with 3 table services per day. By the end of the trip, we had 2 TS and 12 snacks left. There were only two of us, which can sometime affect wait service.
Crystal Palace:
Food (buffet type): B. Average buffet food: mashed potatoes, salad, carved beef, turkey, shrimp, etc.
Wait Service: B. We went after 8:30 at night. Maybe the waiter was tired, but he was somewhat inattentive especially when it came to drink refills.
Portions: all you can eat. A+.
Atmosphere: B+. I didn't realize it was character dining. Eeyore caught me a couple of times (to the instigating of my wife) and tryied to hug me from behind while I was eating. I don't like attention, but hey, it was fun. I had to laugh.
Overall grade: B.
Yak & Yeti: First time trying this place. It is of Asian influence. I honestly didn't think I was going to like anything on the menu, but was pleasantly surprised.
Food: B.
Wait Service: A. The waiter was very good, and it was also very busy.
Portions: Fair/ Good. You leave full, but not gorged. B+.
Atmosphere: B+. We were upstairs away from the noisy downstairs dining room. Alot of detail in the inside.
Overall grade: B+.
Liberty Tree Tavern: Second time coming here.
Food: A+. I always love getting the roasted turkey dinner. The strawberry shortcake dessert was very good.
Wait Service: A.
Portions: Very Good. A. We always leave here feeling very full.
Atmosphere: B. A little loud for my liking (around 12:30 pm lunch). It seemed like there was a birthday every 2 minutes which necessitated clapping and birthday singing from the wait staff.
Overall grade: A. Most likely remains our top favorite.
Sci-Fi Drive-In: First time eating here. I admit, I was expecting alot more than what it was with regards to atmosphere, but it was still neat.
Food: B-. Typical diner fare including burgers, onion rings, even veggie burgers. The people in our car all had something wrong with their food and it had to be sent back to the kitchen. My wife got a cheesburger, but they forgot the cheese.
Wait Service: C. Maybe the waiter was overworked or had too many tables (cars), but he was very inattentive and had a hard time with specific details of orders. He also couldn't answer any questions regarding any items on the menu.
Portions: B.
Atmosphere: B. You're in a car with a small little shelf-like table. Not much room for dining. But the details from the speakers on the poles to the drive-in screen and mini-movies that would show were all neat.
Overall grade: C+.
Hollywood & Vine: Another buffet. I guess I was expecting something different here too. Like an actual atmosphere- rather than one large open dining room.
Food: B. Mussels, Shrimp cocktail, pork loin, mediterranean chicken, salads, etc.
Wait Service: A. Again, another late dinner, so the waiter had every reason to be tired. But he kept our table clean and our drinks filled.
Portions: All you can eat. A+.
Atmosphere: C. Loud and open. It was also very busy. Nothing special about the inside.
Overall grade: A-.
O'Hana's: We missed breakfast here with an ADR one morning, but rescheduled on one of our last days. We also ate dinner here one evening after becoming too tired to travel to DTD for an ADR that we had there.
Food: B+. Family style. For dinner they start you with some vegetables, lo-mein? noodles, something resembling a pork center egg-roll, and salad, dipping sauces, etc. I personally didn't care for any of it except the salad. Then they bring you grilled turkey, steak, pork, and shrimp which they unload off on your plate from skewers. The steak was a bit fatty, but the shrimp was very good, turkey was so-so. Breakfast: Eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, waffles shaped like mickey mouse. Oh- and the breakfast was another character breakfast.
Wait Service: A. Very attentative, but I wasn't sure who our waiter/ waitress was. A handful of different people waited on us at any one time.
Portions: All you can eat. A+. We left feeling stuffed.
Atmosphere: B. It was busy, but we were in a quiet corner. The centralized/ open kitchen grill was neat.
Overall grade: B+.I admit, I didn't give it a fair shake before I sat down, thinking I wouldn't like Hawiian influenced food. It was suprisingly good after we got the intial items off the table. I'd consider eating here again if we stay at a nearby resort.
Kona Cafe: First time here, went for breakfast. The couple next to us ordered the Tonga Toast- it looked tasty, but I just couldn't bring myself to try it....my thought was too much bananna.
Food: B+. Blueberry pancakes, waffles, eggs, sausage, etc.
Wait Service: B+. The waitress was hard to understand, but we were taken care of without any issues.
Portions: B+. We left feeling full.
Atmosphere: B. The restaurant was small, tables feel right on top of other tables. It can also be a little bit loud to have any conversation.
Overall Grade: B. I brought this down a little bit because of the coffee my wife wanted. I need good coffee in the morning to get my day started right. What we had wasn't it.
Grand Floridian Cafe: Suprisingly, this was a very good breakfast. It was quiet and our waitress was super friendly and personable. We chose this restaurant due to the recommendation of a phone operator while making our ADR's months ago. We also chose it because of it's proximity to the Polynesian so we wouldn't have to travel far for a breakfast.
Food: B+. Typical breakfast food entrees. Eggs, omlettes, home fries, sausage, bacon, french toast.
Wait Service: A+. Probably one of the best waitresses we had in all the resaturants we tried on our trip.
Portions: A. Average size. Not terribly large or too small, but we left full.
Atmosphere: A. It was very quiet. Enough said.
Overall grade: A. We would return on any future trip as long as we are staying in relatively close proximity.
Cinderella's Royal Table: I looked forward to this one most, not for the food, but the ambience of what the inside of the castle must be like.
Food: C. This is probably fine culinary cuisine, although not for me. I tried the prime rib, while cooked to my liking, I just wasn't very impressed. My wife tried the tortellini, but wasn't fond of it. The desert (creme brulet & sorbet) was ok at best.
Wait Service: B. Imagine- Waiters in medeival Garb. All of us Lordes & Ladies were taken care good care of. There was a waiter who must have been over 7 foot tall. I didn't think they made knickers that big....lol.
Portions: C. As with culinary cuisine, I suppose it's about the dining "experience". If it hadn't been for our big lunch at LTT four hours previous to this, I would have left feeling hungry.
Atmosphere: A+. I didn't realize you went upstairs into the restaurant. I always thought it was in the gate when you first walk in. It was a pleasant surprise and we were seated right next to the windows looking out the back of the castle towards the carousel.
Overall grade: B. It would be a hard sell for a 2 TS ADR again....unless we have kids with us. The limited menu really brought the grade down, but the atmosphere/ architecture balanced it out. I also thought it was cool that we were handed free photograph's with Cinderella. I think I even saw the wait staff hand out free wands or toys to the kids.
Le Cellier: First time trying. We had an ADR here on our last trip, but had to cancel due to time constraints. I was suprised to see how small of a restaurant this was. Now I can understand why it's so hard to get a reservation.
Food: A. My wife and I both had the NY strip. For appetizers I tried the mussels- tasty although the wine sauce at the bottom of the bowl was awful. The serving size of mussels was plentiful. As for dessert, my wife and I both ordered the chocolate "moose" and got the giggles when they brought it out. My wife almost didn't want to eat it because it was too cute. Now how can you honestly eat a bullwinkle moose with his red fat tongue sticking out at you?
Wait Service: A. One of the better waitresses we had on our trip.
Portions: A-.I was pleased, although it appeared that some of the other entrees people were having around us, such as filet mignon were nothing more than small samplers.
Atmosphere: B+. Small, but cozy. Seats are close to one another so therefore a little loud. Rustic interior look.
Overall grade: A. We would go back on our next trip. A must add to our list of new favorites.
Coral Reef: Second time here. Last time we were seated right at the aquarium tank. This trip we were seated up on the highest plateau, which was much quieter. Also was a good time to go- a relatively quiet 12:30 ADR lunch reservation.
Food: A. Tried the Land/ Sea combo appetizer. Small servings. Had the steak for the main entree. Overall, it was as good as I remember it being the last time.
Wait Service: A+. Another suprer friendly waitress who knew the menu inside and out and offered plenty of suggestions. Drinks were constantly refilled.
Portions: B+. Decent size.
Atmosphere: A. Quiet at first, but as more people came in, it became noticably louder. Still, much better than the last time we were there and had parents and kids pushing in and around our table to catch a glimpse of the fish swimming by.
Overall grade: A. Definately a return next time. Coral Reef remains one of our favorites.
The Wave: Tried this due to the recommendation of a phone operator while making our ADR's during our trip planning.
Food: C. Mostly whole-grain choices as well as the average eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. The restaurant is more of a healthy-eating establishment. My toast had been burnt to a crisp. I would hate to see this place if it were actually busy.
Wait Service: C-. There were only three other families in the place, and we waited almost 20 minutes for our waitress to greet us and take our drink order.
Portions: B. Average size at best.
Atmosphere: B. Quiet. Wavy ceilings, neon lights. Very new age look.
Overall grade: C. Probably would not go back unless there were no other options available.
Nine Dragons: We missed our ADR's at DTD because we didn't find out until the last minute that EMH were at Epcot this night and not at Animal Kingdom, as I originally gathered from the website before we left for our trip. This threw our evening schedule off a bit. Our hotel concierge said there were no ADR's available for a late dinner in all of Epcot, so we went anyways, hoping something may open up. After IllumiNations, we tried a few restaurants all without luck. We came to Nine Dragons, and they took us right in. That immediately was a plus in my book.
Food: B. Limited menu for food to my liking, but I tried the steak over rice. It was spicy but good. The dessert menu was very limited as well.
Wait Service: A. The waitress was very attentive, after I'm sure must have been a long day.
Portions: B+. Enough to satisfy, but not excessive.
Atmosphere: B+. At 9:30 at night, it was very quiet, except for a few families. The wait crew still kept hustling and bustling as if it were a packed house.
Overall grade: B+. Being tired from walking from place to place telling us they couldn't get us in, I might be more generous with my grade than if I made the reservation on my own.
Anyone wanting any additional information, feel free to ask.
For those of you going, or planning, take the following for whatever assistance it can offer. It should be noted that with the Restaurants, I am a very picky eater, so my marks reflect quality, taste and portion size.
Trip Overall grade: A
Resort Stay (6 nights @ Polynesian): A.
Comments: Never stayed here before. A very nice resort and my high expectations were met. The only tricky thing is really knowing where you're going and managing the monorails (or any transportation) correctly- especially if you have an ADR somewhere other than the resort you're staying at. This cost us a couple of ADR's. The overall layout of the Poly can disorientate you if you're a newbie to the resort like we were. Twice we found ourselves walking to the Transportation Center following the signs to board the monorail. After this being our 3rd trip in 3 years, I would have thought the more transportation options would work better, but in reality, more does not necessarily equate to better but just added to the confusion. With a little more attention being paid to where things were, and using the amentities of the resort which we didn't find time for, I would have given it an A+.
Park Crowd levels: B-.
Comments: Parks were very busy, but the ride times weren't bad at all and the rides with long wait times, fast pass was the best solution. The most annoying were the people who clip other people's heels with strollers and refused to apologize. Typical disney crowds with regards to that. The MNSSHP was packed on Oct 31, but the parade was very good.
HalloWishes fireworks: B. I gave this a separate grade as I thought the fireworks when we went in 2005 was much better. In fact, I would even rank regular wishes higher.
Restaurants: We were on the DDP Deluxe, with 3 table services per day. By the end of the trip, we had 2 TS and 12 snacks left. There were only two of us, which can sometime affect wait service.
Crystal Palace:
Food (buffet type): B. Average buffet food: mashed potatoes, salad, carved beef, turkey, shrimp, etc.
Wait Service: B. We went after 8:30 at night. Maybe the waiter was tired, but he was somewhat inattentive especially when it came to drink refills.
Portions: all you can eat. A+.
Atmosphere: B+. I didn't realize it was character dining. Eeyore caught me a couple of times (to the instigating of my wife) and tryied to hug me from behind while I was eating. I don't like attention, but hey, it was fun. I had to laugh.
Overall grade: B.
Yak & Yeti: First time trying this place. It is of Asian influence. I honestly didn't think I was going to like anything on the menu, but was pleasantly surprised.
Food: B.
Wait Service: A. The waiter was very good, and it was also very busy.
Portions: Fair/ Good. You leave full, but not gorged. B+.
Atmosphere: B+. We were upstairs away from the noisy downstairs dining room. Alot of detail in the inside.
Overall grade: B+.
Liberty Tree Tavern: Second time coming here.
Food: A+. I always love getting the roasted turkey dinner. The strawberry shortcake dessert was very good.
Wait Service: A.
Portions: Very Good. A. We always leave here feeling very full.
Atmosphere: B. A little loud for my liking (around 12:30 pm lunch). It seemed like there was a birthday every 2 minutes which necessitated clapping and birthday singing from the wait staff.
Overall grade: A. Most likely remains our top favorite.
Sci-Fi Drive-In: First time eating here. I admit, I was expecting alot more than what it was with regards to atmosphere, but it was still neat.
Food: B-. Typical diner fare including burgers, onion rings, even veggie burgers. The people in our car all had something wrong with their food and it had to be sent back to the kitchen. My wife got a cheesburger, but they forgot the cheese.
Wait Service: C. Maybe the waiter was overworked or had too many tables (cars), but he was very inattentive and had a hard time with specific details of orders. He also couldn't answer any questions regarding any items on the menu.
Portions: B.
Atmosphere: B. You're in a car with a small little shelf-like table. Not much room for dining. But the details from the speakers on the poles to the drive-in screen and mini-movies that would show were all neat.
Overall grade: C+.
Hollywood & Vine: Another buffet. I guess I was expecting something different here too. Like an actual atmosphere- rather than one large open dining room.
Food: B. Mussels, Shrimp cocktail, pork loin, mediterranean chicken, salads, etc.
Wait Service: A. Again, another late dinner, so the waiter had every reason to be tired. But he kept our table clean and our drinks filled.
Portions: All you can eat. A+.
Atmosphere: C. Loud and open. It was also very busy. Nothing special about the inside.
Overall grade: A-.
O'Hana's: We missed breakfast here with an ADR one morning, but rescheduled on one of our last days. We also ate dinner here one evening after becoming too tired to travel to DTD for an ADR that we had there.
Food: B+. Family style. For dinner they start you with some vegetables, lo-mein? noodles, something resembling a pork center egg-roll, and salad, dipping sauces, etc. I personally didn't care for any of it except the salad. Then they bring you grilled turkey, steak, pork, and shrimp which they unload off on your plate from skewers. The steak was a bit fatty, but the shrimp was very good, turkey was so-so. Breakfast: Eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, waffles shaped like mickey mouse. Oh- and the breakfast was another character breakfast.
Wait Service: A. Very attentative, but I wasn't sure who our waiter/ waitress was. A handful of different people waited on us at any one time.
Portions: All you can eat. A+. We left feeling stuffed.
Atmosphere: B. It was busy, but we were in a quiet corner. The centralized/ open kitchen grill was neat.
Overall grade: B+.I admit, I didn't give it a fair shake before I sat down, thinking I wouldn't like Hawiian influenced food. It was suprisingly good after we got the intial items off the table. I'd consider eating here again if we stay at a nearby resort.
Kona Cafe: First time here, went for breakfast. The couple next to us ordered the Tonga Toast- it looked tasty, but I just couldn't bring myself to try it....my thought was too much bananna.
Food: B+. Blueberry pancakes, waffles, eggs, sausage, etc.
Wait Service: B+. The waitress was hard to understand, but we were taken care of without any issues.
Portions: B+. We left feeling full.
Atmosphere: B. The restaurant was small, tables feel right on top of other tables. It can also be a little bit loud to have any conversation.
Overall Grade: B. I brought this down a little bit because of the coffee my wife wanted. I need good coffee in the morning to get my day started right. What we had wasn't it.
Grand Floridian Cafe: Suprisingly, this was a very good breakfast. It was quiet and our waitress was super friendly and personable. We chose this restaurant due to the recommendation of a phone operator while making our ADR's months ago. We also chose it because of it's proximity to the Polynesian so we wouldn't have to travel far for a breakfast.
Food: B+. Typical breakfast food entrees. Eggs, omlettes, home fries, sausage, bacon, french toast.
Wait Service: A+. Probably one of the best waitresses we had in all the resaturants we tried on our trip.
Portions: A. Average size. Not terribly large or too small, but we left full.
Atmosphere: A. It was very quiet. Enough said.
Overall grade: A. We would return on any future trip as long as we are staying in relatively close proximity.
Cinderella's Royal Table: I looked forward to this one most, not for the food, but the ambience of what the inside of the castle must be like.
Food: C. This is probably fine culinary cuisine, although not for me. I tried the prime rib, while cooked to my liking, I just wasn't very impressed. My wife tried the tortellini, but wasn't fond of it. The desert (creme brulet & sorbet) was ok at best.
Wait Service: B. Imagine- Waiters in medeival Garb. All of us Lordes & Ladies were taken care good care of. There was a waiter who must have been over 7 foot tall. I didn't think they made knickers that big....lol.
Portions: C. As with culinary cuisine, I suppose it's about the dining "experience". If it hadn't been for our big lunch at LTT four hours previous to this, I would have left feeling hungry.
Atmosphere: A+. I didn't realize you went upstairs into the restaurant. I always thought it was in the gate when you first walk in. It was a pleasant surprise and we were seated right next to the windows looking out the back of the castle towards the carousel.
Overall grade: B. It would be a hard sell for a 2 TS ADR again....unless we have kids with us. The limited menu really brought the grade down, but the atmosphere/ architecture balanced it out. I also thought it was cool that we were handed free photograph's with Cinderella. I think I even saw the wait staff hand out free wands or toys to the kids.
Le Cellier: First time trying. We had an ADR here on our last trip, but had to cancel due to time constraints. I was suprised to see how small of a restaurant this was. Now I can understand why it's so hard to get a reservation.
Food: A. My wife and I both had the NY strip. For appetizers I tried the mussels- tasty although the wine sauce at the bottom of the bowl was awful. The serving size of mussels was plentiful. As for dessert, my wife and I both ordered the chocolate "moose" and got the giggles when they brought it out. My wife almost didn't want to eat it because it was too cute. Now how can you honestly eat a bullwinkle moose with his red fat tongue sticking out at you?
Wait Service: A. One of the better waitresses we had on our trip.
Portions: A-.I was pleased, although it appeared that some of the other entrees people were having around us, such as filet mignon were nothing more than small samplers.
Atmosphere: B+. Small, but cozy. Seats are close to one another so therefore a little loud. Rustic interior look.
Overall grade: A. We would go back on our next trip. A must add to our list of new favorites.
Coral Reef: Second time here. Last time we were seated right at the aquarium tank. This trip we were seated up on the highest plateau, which was much quieter. Also was a good time to go- a relatively quiet 12:30 ADR lunch reservation.
Food: A. Tried the Land/ Sea combo appetizer. Small servings. Had the steak for the main entree. Overall, it was as good as I remember it being the last time.
Wait Service: A+. Another suprer friendly waitress who knew the menu inside and out and offered plenty of suggestions. Drinks were constantly refilled.
Portions: B+. Decent size.
Atmosphere: A. Quiet at first, but as more people came in, it became noticably louder. Still, much better than the last time we were there and had parents and kids pushing in and around our table to catch a glimpse of the fish swimming by.
Overall grade: A. Definately a return next time. Coral Reef remains one of our favorites.
The Wave: Tried this due to the recommendation of a phone operator while making our ADR's during our trip planning.
Food: C. Mostly whole-grain choices as well as the average eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. The restaurant is more of a healthy-eating establishment. My toast had been burnt to a crisp. I would hate to see this place if it were actually busy.
Wait Service: C-. There were only three other families in the place, and we waited almost 20 minutes for our waitress to greet us and take our drink order.
Portions: B. Average size at best.
Atmosphere: B. Quiet. Wavy ceilings, neon lights. Very new age look.
Overall grade: C. Probably would not go back unless there were no other options available.
Nine Dragons: We missed our ADR's at DTD because we didn't find out until the last minute that EMH were at Epcot this night and not at Animal Kingdom, as I originally gathered from the website before we left for our trip. This threw our evening schedule off a bit. Our hotel concierge said there were no ADR's available for a late dinner in all of Epcot, so we went anyways, hoping something may open up. After IllumiNations, we tried a few restaurants all without luck. We came to Nine Dragons, and they took us right in. That immediately was a plus in my book.
Food: B. Limited menu for food to my liking, but I tried the steak over rice. It was spicy but good. The dessert menu was very limited as well.
Wait Service: A. The waitress was very attentive, after I'm sure must have been a long day.
Portions: B+. Enough to satisfy, but not excessive.
Atmosphere: B+. At 9:30 at night, it was very quiet, except for a few families. The wait crew still kept hustling and bustling as if it were a packed house.
Overall grade: B+. Being tired from walking from place to place telling us they couldn't get us in, I might be more generous with my grade than if I made the reservation on my own.
Anyone wanting any additional information, feel free to ask.
